The charges stem from the rapes of four freshmen during an out of town trip for a basketball tournament in Sevier County, Tennessee, the week of December 20, 2015.

Failure to Report Child Sexual Abuse is a Class A misdemeanor and carries a sentence of up to 11 months, 29 days behind bars.

At this time, our office cannot release any further information, as prohibited by the Tennessee Supreme Court Rules of Professional Responsibility, Rule 3.8 (Special Duties of Prosecutors), which reads in pertinent part:

(f) except for statements that are necessary to inform the public of the nature and extent of the prosecutor's action and that serve a legitimate law enforcement purpose, shall refrain from making extrajudicial comments that have a substantial likelihood of heightening public condemnation of the accused and exercise reasonable care to prevent employees of the prosecutor's office from making an extrajudicial statement that the prosecutor would be prohibited from making under RPC 3.6 or this Rule; and discourage investigators, law enforcement personnel, and other persons assisting or associated with the prosecutor in a criminal matter from making an extrajudicial statement that the prosecutor would be prohibited from making under RPC 3.6 or this Rule.

In accordance with this rule, General Pinkston has asked the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office to also refrain from public comment.

Reminder: An indictment is not evidence of guilt. Charges are allegations and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.